Doctors and technical personnel use clipboards with a clamping mechanism along the top and hard writing surface to prepare documents. The primary advantage to the use of a clipboard is that it allows for a writing surface in situations that would otherwise not allow for a suitable surface for preparing written documents. Physicians and medical technicians typically require the use of a clipboard when preparing patient records, prescriptions and other medical documents. Often it is desirable to have prescription pads, record forms, etc. available during a patient visit, examination or testing period. Technicians in other fields share similar needs.
Various devices have been described in prior art incorporating clipping mechanisms and storage compartments. For example, the device described by Sinclair, U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,334, discloses a flat writing surface that is hinged along the top and lifts to reveal a storage compartment designed to transport pens, pencils, erasers, rulers and calculators.
Zalkind, U.S. Pat. No. 2,606,774, discloses a device to hold and automatically dispense sales slips or forms to the writing surface.
Liu et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,927, describes a device incorporating a writing surface, clip and cover that can be rotated to cover and protect documents when not being written on or referred to.
Aimes, U.S. Pat. No. 2,805,870, discloses a device for holding a memo pad for the movable support of index cards.
Krepp, U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,760, describes a clipboard with hollow areas for storing drafting aids.
Each of these devices addresses the need for portable writing surfaces and in some cases storage of supplies, writing implements and drafting tools. The current invention goes beyond the present art to address the specific needs of the medical profession. It incorporates a surface area and clip to secure documents while also providing a secure pullout drawer to house a prescription pad and writing instruments.